Challenging job

Thursday July 9, 2009



Challenging job
WHEEL POWER WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The challenges of a city councillor are many and varied.

MY job as a councillor for the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) came to a halt on June 30. At the time of writing this article, I do not know if I will be picked again to serve another term.

Whatever the case, Tuesday last week was one filled with mixed emotions. I was sad to say goodbye to all the wonderful friends I have made at the local municipality. They include people from the top right down to those at the frontline. All of them have been very helpful to me.

Whether it is attending to a resident’s need or getting the door in front of me or the lift, it is always nice to be greeted with a friendly smile or a polite handshake.

I have learnt so much as a councillor. For one, you learn to see life and its problems from a totally different perspective.

As a leader of an NGO, I’ve had my share of battles with municipalities in the past. Some of them had not been very pleasant.

But I never realised that sometimes solutions can’t come about in the way we expect them to.

Especially in cases where there are other people and factors to consider instead of just one particular group or two.

It is at times like these that the responsibilities of a councillor can be challenging, frustrating and even depressing.

Having said that, though, the past 12 months has been an encouraging one for disabled and elderly residents in Petaling Jaya.

The disabled in Petaling Jaya were given free medical treatment at MBPJ’s clinic. This is a welcome relief for the handicapped who may otherwise have to wait in long queues at government hospitals.

To celebrate International Disabled Day in December, a disabled car park complete with a roof was launched to provide extra protection for the handicapped. The 150 car parks that will be built in stages throughout the city. They will be available free of charge.

I had the honour of setting up and chairing a special committee of experts who sit in a monthly disability technical committee to chart out barrier-free plans for the city.

The group comprises a medical doctor and a team of disabled persons with a mix of handicaps.

This is important for the representation of a diverse range of issues affecting the handicapped.

All new buildings in Petaling Jaya had to come to us first with their disabled-friendly blueprint.

Once our input is given, it will then proceed to the relevant bodies in MBPJ for final approval.

With the help of the planning and engineering department, we have come up with a revised standard for up-to-date disabled-friendly toilets for all buildings as well as new guidelines for homes for the elderly to ensure that the needs of all are taken into consideration.

Perhaps the most exciting of all the disabled-friendly facilities in Petaling Jaya is the universal design pavement that can be used by everyone, including the elderly, the blind, the physically disabled, and even mothers with prams.

The 500m-stretch along Jalan Gasing will be completed before long.

As I wheeled myself up on the pavement last Sunday, I was overcome by emotion. I had never been happier in my life.

For the first time in my 30 years as a wheelchair resident in PJ, I was able to access a user-friendly and safe pavement.

Welcome to a new Petaling Jaya!

Ministry forms panel to improve service at shelter homes

Wednesday July 8, 2009

Ministry forms panel to improve service at shelter homes

KUALA KUBU BARU: A committee will be formed to raise the competency level in government-run shelter homes in the country and in the provision of care for the disabled, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said the committee would find ways to improve the current state of service and equip the departments involved with the necessary expertise and technology in treating and caring for those who need special care at the homes.

“I will personally spearhead the committee along with my ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Faizah Mohd Tahir and people from the Welfare Department,” Shahrizat said when visiting the Taman Sinar Harapan shelter home here yesterday.

She said that among others, the committee was also expected to discuss ways and methods on the training of welfare officers and the improvement of conditions at shelter homes.

Up close and personal: Shahrizat greeting one of the young residents at the Taman Sinar Harapan shelter home Tuesday.

The minister also suggested that Suhakam and the Bar Council form a special task force and volunteer at the home for a month for hands-on experience before filing their official report to the authorities.

Although she admitted that shelter homes could do with more staff, Shahrizat said that increasing the number of welfare officers was not a long-term solution.

“What we need is a new methodology and a paradigm shift in the system and to move forward with a new mentality,” she said, stressing that the community played an important role in understanding and providing care for the disabled.

“All I want to know is, where are the families of the patients here? They have made this into a place to dump or abandon their own disabled family members, whom they can’t cope with anymore.

“They have to be more involved in caring for them,” she said, adding that the Government was open to any suggestion and help, particularly foreign expertise on the methods of caring for the disabled.

Shahrizat said it was also time for change, adding that she had been dissatisfied with the current standard of care for the disabled and the condition of shelter homes.

“I’m not going to play the blame game or point fingers at this stage. What really needs to be done is that everyone should come and put our heads together in resolving the issue,” she said.

Shahrizat said the caregivers involved had also given their best as they were not experts in handling the disabled, especially the mentally challenged.

Welfare Department deputy director-general (operations) Halijah Yahaya, who was present, denied that cough syrup had been given as sedative to the residents.

Faizah: They constantly attacked one another and staff

Tuesday July 7, 2009

Faizah: They constantly attacked one another and staff
By YUEN MEIKENG and ZALINAH NOORDIN

PETALING JAYA: The 40 aggressive residents at the Taman Sinar Harapan welfare home in Kuala Kubu Baru were segregated from others because they constantly attacked one another and even the staff members.

Women, Family and Community Develop- ment Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Faizah Mohd Tahir said the 30 men and 10 women among the 220 residents had mental disabilities with aggressive tendencies and were separated due to their destructive behaviour to themselves and others. They tear off clothing put on them and blankets are torn to shreds within hours. The remaining 180 residents are bedridden,” she said in a statement.

She added that the home had been operational since 1984 and was the only Taman Sinar Harapan institution out of seven which catered to the severely mentally and physically disabled people aged above 15.

“The attendants at the home have been given basic skills training on how to manage the residents under their care and refer those who are aggressive or need medical attention to the nurses or to the hospital for treatment,” Faizah said.

She added that there was no resident doctor or psychiatrist at the Kuala Kubu Baru home or in any of the other Taman Sinar Harapan shelter homes in the country.

She pointed out that most residents have been abandoned by their families and would have to remain institutionalised for the rest of their lives.

“Caring for and managing people with severe multiple disabilities is challenging and we have to address the multiplicity of the needs and issues involved,” she said, adding that such needs included skilled and qualified personnel in therapy, health and nutrition and the need to work in a multi-disciplinary team approach.

She said the Social Welfare Department welcomed medical and mental health experts who can make a significant difference to the quality of life of residents in Taman Sinar Harapan.

The Sri Sai Baba Centre volunteers, who go to the home every Sunday to clean and feed the residents, said the condition of the centre was better compared to previous times.

A volunteer who wished to be known only as Ravi said he had been volunteering at the institution for the past 10 years.

“This place used to be much worse in the past with residents sleeping on the cement floor and parts of their body covered in dried faeces. It was not as organised as it is now,” he said.

Another volunteer who wanted to be known only as Vasu said: “It’s good that the matter is highlighted. At least now their plight is known and maybe their lives will change after this.”

Suhakam to lodge complaint over mistreatment

Monday July 6, 2009

Suhakam to lodge complaint over mistreatment
Reports by LESTER KONG, YUEN MEIKENG, ZALINAH NOORDIN and DESIREE TRESA GASPER

JOHOR BARU: Suhakam will visit the Taman Sinar Harapan home in Selangor and forward a formal complaint on the mistreatment of the home’s residents to the authorities.

Commissioner Datuk N. Siva Sub- ramaniam said Suhakam would also talk to visitors to the home and get a clearer picture of the situation.

“Everyone deserves to be treated humanely, even those who are mentally unwell,” he said when commenting on the condition of the Taman Sinar Harapan home residents in Kuala Kubu Baru.

He said besides it being demoralising to treat residents like animals, the environment itself was not conducive for the patients who could not speak up for themselves.

Siva Subramaniam said Suhakam, which had received a verbal complaint about the home two days ago, was particularly concerned over the well-being of the children there.

“Feeding them cough syrup to keep them docile is terribly wrong as children should be treated with extra care,” he said, expressing his shock at both the quality of the food served there and the ratio of employees to the number of residents.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Anthony Thanasayan said the mistreatment of the residents reflected on how clueless the centre’s staff members were on the rights of the disabled.

“This case may only be the tip of the iceberg.

The Government should thoroughly check both private and public welfare centres whether they provide basic needs such as the right to be treated properly,” he said, adding that untrained welfare workers should not be allowed to care for disabled patients.

Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva called on Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Meme Zainal Rashid to resign from her position.

“We just want a good quality of life with the basic necessities,” Francis said.

Mismanagement And Abuse Of Taman Sinar Harapan Inmates Intolerable: Sec-Gen

July 06, 2009 00:19 AM

Mismanagement And Abuse Of Taman Sinar Harapan Inmates Intolerable: Sec-Gen

By: Ramjit

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama)-- The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is gravely concerned and will not tolerate any mismanagement and abuse of residents at Taman Sinar Harapan, Kuala Kubu Baru (TSH KKB).

The ministry's Secretary-General Tan Sri Faizah Mohd Tahir in a statement Sunday said that the attendants at the shelter were not medical attendants but providers of basic care like bathing, clothing and feeding them."They are not medical attendants like those in hospitals.

Nevertheless, they do their best to residents under their care at any one time," she said.

They have also been given basic training skills to manage residents under their care and refer those who were aggressive or who needed medical attention to nurses or hospitals for treatment or rehabilitation, she added.

Faizah said the institution founded on Jan 4, 1984, was one of the seven institutions under the Department of Social Welfare, catered for providing shelter, care, rehabilitation and training for the disabled.

However, TSH KKB is the only one taking care of those who have severe mental disorder, disabled and untreatable, above the age of 15. The total number of staff manning the institution is 114, with 84 attendants caring for residents, working on three 8-hour shifts.

The institution also has two nurses and two physiotherapists, she said.

The total number of residents in TSH KKB is 22O, of which 18O are bedridden and the rest, 30 male and 10 female, are those with aggressive tendencies.

"They tear off clothing provided for them and blankets are torn to shreds within hours and constantly attacked each other and even the staff.

"They are segregated because of their destructive behavior to themselves and others. Only five percent of them have visitors while the rest have been abandoned by their families and will have to remain institutionalized for the rest of their lives," she said.

She added that the Department of Social Welfare was very grateful to the many volunteers who have been spending their free time with residents at TSH KKB and welcomed others such as medical and mental health experts who can make a significant difference to the quality of life of residents in Taman Sinar Harapan.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had earlier today directed the ministry to prepare an immediate in-depth report on the matter.

The minister who is currently in Manik Urai, Kelantan, said she would look into the plight of the inmates of Taman Sinar Harapan in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, some of whom were reported to be living in deplorable conditions.

She said she would visit the centre soon and help to improve the conditions, especially for the old and handicapped.

A local English newspaper today reported that the TSH KKB, a government-run shelter home for disabled has instead become a 'horror home' as it claimed that about 30 men from 200 residents comprising men, women and children were naked, chained up and caged.

BERNAMA

‘Ray of hope’ that turned out to be a nightmare

Sunday July 5, 2009



Ray of hope’ that turned out to be a nightmare

KUALA KUBU BARU: We were hit by the stench of faeces and urine the minute we walked into the men’s block at Taman Sinar Harapan located in a secluded area of the town here.

Mr A, a volunteer from a non-governmental organisation who goes to the home every Sunday to clean and feed the residents, opened the locked door at the back of the block and we were stunned by what greeted us.

About 30 stark naked men were inside the room, either lying down or sitting on the wet marble floor. In one part of the room, we saw a pool of blood, still fresh and red, on the floor.
Half of the men were locked behind bars like animals in a zoo while the others were able to move about in the front portion of the room. Those in the “jail cells” were segregated so that they would not harm their non-violent roommates.

“Those who are accidentally placed inside the cells with the more aggressive residents would be beaten or abused,” the volunteer revealed.

Most of them looked no older than 50 but they were just skin and bones and some looked extremely frail. One resident was lying on his stomach on a wooden bench and had passed motion; we almost gagged at its stench.

Fans were installed inside the room for better ventilation but that was the only luxury the men had. There were no beds, no toilets and not even blankets to keep them warm on cold rainy nights.

Those who were not in the “jail cells” were given beds but without any mattresses or pillows.

They were, however, chained to the bed frame with metal chains and a steel lock.

We were told by a volunteer that they were restricted to prevent them from hurting themselves. The volunteer also shared that the men were not given any clothing as they had used their shirts to strangle themselves or the other men in the past.

After a briefing by Mr A, we got down to work. We were put in charge of spreading mats and towels on the floor.

The volunteers were all given different tasks. A group of about six or seven men were in charge of bathing the locked-up residents, the women were in charge of preparing the food and feeding the residents while the rest (there were two children in the volunteer group) were in charge of cleaning up the place and washing their clothes.

The residents were hosed down with water and soap by volunteers dressed in construction boots and a water proof apron.

After that, the male volunteers carried the naked men to the front part of the building for us to towel dry them.

After sensing our discomfort, a female volunteer nearby said: “It’s okay, they’re just like babies, you know, they don’t know anything.”

We proceeded to wipe them dry one by one before we were told to feed them with the yong tau foo bought by one of the volunteers.

The food was mashed to bits and mixed with soup to minimise the need to chew and to make feeding an easier task. so that the residents only needed to swallow them.

As we fed them, some ate obediently while others were greedy and stuffed their hands inside the bowls to take out larger portions of the food.

Some volunteers reprimanded the greedy ones who crawled towards the table to help themselves to more food.

We noticed that some of the mentally disabled residents liked to hit themselves repeatedly. When we tried to stop them, they would fight back or just hit their body against the floor.

Mid-way through feeding, some volunteers suddenly rushed over to a young resident whose head was bleeding profusely. We were told that the boy had slipped and fell.

The volunteers immediately dressed him up, put him on a wheelchair and sent him to a hospital nearby.

After mopping the floor, we took a break and noticed that the residents were taken back into their cells to be locked up again.

It was nearly 4pm when everything was done. The residents were all bathed, fed and the place was clean enough.

We asked the volunteers what would happen to the residents on weekdays when the group was not there to offer their help.

The naked truth: Some of the inmates who were caged up in the home.

“The caretakers don’t do much. There are only two of them while there are 50 residents. If it’s time to feed them, they would just walk one round with a bowl and feed whoever wants to eat.

Those who don’t are left alone,” answered a volunteer.

She divulged that another charitable organisation had brought food for the residents but it was thrown away.

“When the group asked why they did such a thing, the caretakers said that the residents would create a bigger mess if there was more food because they would defecate more often,” she said.

After the voluntary group had left, we stayed back to check out the other blocks.

The women’s wing looked cleaner and did not smell as bad but a handful of the women were seen walking about in the nude.

The two caretakers stationed at the block were seen watching TV and chatting.

We noticed that the women’s clothes were laid out to dry on a dirty floor caked with fungus. We walked over to the children’s block which seemed to be the best kept part of the home. It was decorated and there were proper beds. But the children were curiously quiet.

A volunteer claimed that the children were fed with cough syrup so that they would be sleepy and docile.

A govt-run shelter for the disabled has, instead, become their jail

Sunday July 5, 2009

A govt-run shelter for the disabled has, instead, become their jail
By YUEN MEIKENG and ZALINAH NOORDI

KUALA KUBU BARU: About 30 men, naked, some chained up, caged and covered in their faeces and urine – that is the scene inside locked rooms at the Taman Sinar Harapan home here.

Following a public tip-off via an email from London, The Star’s probe team went undercover to the government-run shelter that is tucked away behind the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital and next to a golf course.

The home has about 200 residents comprising men, women and children, some of whom are mentally disabled and infirmed. What goes on within the four walls is shocking, and visits to individual rooms reveal even more horror – residents, young and old, naked and confined in cages.Caged life: An inmate crawling on the floor, hardly aware of his naked existence at the Taman Sinar Harapan home in Kuala Kubu Baru. — SAM THAM / The Star

Equal standing

Thursday July 2, 2009




Equal standing
WHEEL POWER WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The disabled deserve the same rights as the able-bodied.

I WAS delighted to be invited to speak on social justice and people with disabilities at a two-day seminar organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last week.

There were three other speakers. Their focus was on children and the elderly, indigenous communities and foreign or “guest workers” in Malaysia.

In my talk, I pointed out to the audience which was made up of mostly professionals, that it was essential to have a proper understanding of disability before one can start to tackle the issue of social justice. Another key consideration is the person affected by disability.

Judging from the nods from the audience, I was glad that I managed to drive home the point that disability is everyone’s issue. Common diseases like heart attack, cancer and diabetes can lead to handicapping conditions. Disability not only affects us but also our loved ones, friends, colleagues and employers.

Once we understand this, we will be in a better position to discuss the issue of social justice when it comes to Malaysians with disabilities.

This was the main reason why I, as an MBPJ councillor, embarked on a project recently to build a universal design pavement along a 500m stretch of Jalan Gasing in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

In keeping with international and local standards, the design includes tactile markings on the floor to help the blind get around.

The pavement will also be wheelchair-friendly. Mothers with prams, pregnant women and the elderly will be able to walk on it safely.

The unique design will prevent cars from accessing the special pavement. Street furniture will also be removed for unimpeded access.

If proven successful, the design will be used in all of Petaling Jaya’s pavements.

I was saddened by certain quarters who rushed to criticise the project even before it was completed.

Someone asked if a “proper study” was done to see if there were disabled people in the area. The argument implies that disabled people are only found in a certain part of town. This kind of thinking clearly stereotypes people with disabilities.

I have seen elderly persons with walking sticks going to the local shops, park, church or temple.

And on every occasion they chose to walk on the road and court danger instead of on the pavement.

The reason they avoid the pavements is obvious. It is too high for them to negotiate. The pathway also narrows down suddenly next to large open drains.

I guess the lesson here for all of us is to stop labelling and stereotyping the disabled in our community.

It this attitude that has kept them locked away from society.

Let us never forget that they are people like us. And they are entitled to the same rights and privileges as citizens. The best thing we can do for them is to offer our unflinching support.